Farm-gate



UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

ANDREW DIETZ, OF RARITAN, NEW' JERSEY.

FARM-GATE.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 19,499, dated March 2, 18%58.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW Dm'rz, of Raritan, Somerset county, and Stateof New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Self-Acting Gate, whichcan be easily opened and shut by those in carriages or on horseback andwithout requiring them to alight or dismount; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof andof the manner of its operation, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and the letters marked thereon, and making a part of thisspecification.

Figure 1, is a perspective view of the gate, in the position it takes,when shut. Fig. 2, shows the position of the parts when the gate isopen, and Fig. 3 the position, when the gate is open, and on an enlargedscale.

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing and arranging thesupporting or hanging parts of the gate, that the movement of a lever orcord will change the position of such supporting arrangement and causethe gate, by its own weight or action to open or shut without theapplication of any power directly to it, and without rendering itnecessary for any person to alight or dismount.

The gate A, is suspended and turns upon hinges a, a, constructed in anymanner so as to allow the gate to be raised and lowered for the purposehereafter mentioned.

To the back post B, of the gate, and below the middle of the gate, isfirmly fastened a stud or projection b, to which are attached the ropesor chains c, c', which pass up and through a staple, or pulley d, abouta pulley o3 and thence over pulleys e, c', in the gate frame or other rmplace, so that they can be worked with the hands, directly, or throughthe levers f, f. Such chains or ropes when thus worked, elevate the gatefor the purposes to be mentioned. rllhe hinges a, a, do not howeversupport the gate, except in part, their more particular use being toguide it in its movements; but the gate is mainly sustained by theroller or wheel g, firmly iXed in the post B, and resting and rollingupon the inclined plane 7L, the weight of the gate causing the roller g,always to seek, and rest at the lowest point of such inclined plane. Iftherefore the position -of such inclination is varied, that is, if atone time its lowest point is toward the opposite post C, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3, and at another time is turned at right angles with thatposition, and in either direction as shown in Fig. 2, the gate will ofitself, and by its own weight, in the former case close or shut, and inthe latter case,

swing open.

The position of t-he inclined plane L, is changed in the followingmanner. From its under surface which is horizontal, and rests upon asupport j, projects a shaft or bar Z, to which are fastened, and woundin different directions, strong cords m, m, and which are also fastenedto the ropes or chains c, c', `and which are of such a length that asthese ropes or chains are drawn back, the cords m, m', will rotate thepart it, to a position at right angles with that it may then have. Afterbeing so rotated, it is held and fastened in any such position, as soonas the ropes c, c, are released, by the pins i, z", on the'under surfaceof h,

dropping into appropriate sockets in the support As soon as the ropes c,o', are released, the gate also ceases to be supported by them, and theroller g, naturally seeks the lower point of the inclined plane, andcauses the gate to be opened or shut 'as the case may be. To give betteraction to the cords m m, and cause them to impart a more instantaneousand certain movement to the inclined plane h, small wire or othersprings may be attached to them, or they may be made of any elasticmaterial. Suppose now the gate shut and a person in a carriage or onhorseback approaching. He.

drives or rides so that he can reach the lever f, or rope c, and pullsthis smartly. The gate is slightly raised, and by means of the cord m,the inclined plane h, is turned at right angles, and from theindividual, and is held there by the pins t', t', entering, from theweight of the part k, the sockets in j. The lowest point of the inclinedplane being thus in the direction of one of the side posts E, E, thegate, as soon as the hand lets go the rope c, naturally swings open, andpermits free passage. Having passed the lever or rope, opposite to thatbefore used, is pulled, and the inclined plane turned backward, at rightangles, and the gate closes. The gate is thus selfacting, both openingand shutting from the natural action of its parts, and operated by thesimple movement of working of the lever f, or rope e.

Weight, according to the position of such incline 7L; and in connectiontherewith the arrangement of the cords c, 0, m, m, and 15 their springs,or their equivalent to raise the gate and turn the incline h, the Wholeubsantially as and for the purposes set ort ANDREW DIETZ.

S. A. LAW,

In presence ofi S. D. LAW.

